Clowney is considered a top prospect for the 2014 NFL draft. / Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

by Tony Santaella, WLTX

by Tony Santaella, WLTX

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The University of South Carolina's athletics department is looking into reports that star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney may have had contact with rap mogul Jay Z.

Jay Z, who's real name is Shawn Carter, recently started a talent representative agency for athletes called Roc Nation Sports. He made a splash this summer when he signed Kevin Durant of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.

A report from "Inside the League," a football insider website, claimed Clowney was in "regular contact" with Jay Z about possibly signing with the rapper's company. The report did not include any sourcing for that claim.

An Instagram account believed to be operated by Clowney posted a link to an article discussing the report. Below the post was written "You kno (sic) we about to turn up. Dream coming true."

A spokesman for the South Carolina athletics department said the school's compliance office was looking into the report.

During a live interview with ESPN's Chris Fowler on Tuesday afternoon, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier was asked about the report.

"All of our conversations (with Clowney) are 'Wait until you have played your last game at South Carolina,' " Spurrier said. "When the bowl game is over this coming season, he's free to accept any amount of money anybody wants to give him. But until then he has to be a student-athlete like all the other guys or he's not going to be eligible. He's done a good job of knowing that."

NCAA bylaws prevent players from agreeing in writing or verbally to be represented by an agent. Any athlete who does is ruled ineligible. However, an agent can talk to players as long as they provide no services to that athlete.